Danna was sitting in the lecture hall, eyes buried in her book during the short break between classes. The hall buzzed around her, but her focus stayed steady—until he showed up.
Garson dropped into the seat beside her with his usual smirk. "Is the volcano calm now?"
"Could you leave me for once, Mr. Whatever?" Danna muttered, not even sparing him a glance.
Garson leaned closer, voice tinged with playful irritation. "Well, if I'm talking, Miss Coffee… look at me."
"I don't care what you say," she replied, eyes still glued to her book.
In one swift move, Garson snatched the book from her hands and held it out of reach. "Hey—you, Mr. Whatever!" Danna snapped, now fully annoyed.
He grinned. "Ah, there she is. I was starting to think the book replaced me as your favorite enemy."
"You are not any favorite," Danna huffed, reaching for the book. "Give. It. Back."
"Really?" Garson said, raising an eyebrow. "Okay then—if I'm not your favorite… you're not getting this back."
He held it higher, and Danna leaned in closer, trying to grab it from his hand.
In the struggle, she suddenly froze—realizing how close their faces were now.
Her breath hitched.
Garson wasn't smirking anymore.
His eyes… they weren't teasing.
They were just looking at her. Like he was trying to read something deeper.
Neither of them moved.
The air between them felt like it could crack with one heartbeat.
Danna quickly pulled herself back, cheeks a little warm, and sat up straight as if nothing had happened.
Garson blinked, cleared his throat, and silently placed the book back on the table.
Neither of them said a word.
The teasing was gone.
The smirks had faded.
And the space between them felt a little heavier than before.
Danna stared at the page, eyes not really reading, while Garson leaned back in his seat, suddenly more focused on the wall than her.
Both pretending they didn't feel what just passed between them.
Garson finally broke the silence, his voice quieter than usual.
"Why are you not talking to Natalia?"
Danna didn't look up from her book. Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the page.
"That's none of your business, Mr. Whatever."
Garson leaned forward, his tone still calm but curious.
"She's your best friend. You two are always stuck together like glue… until now."
Danna finally looked at him, her eyes cold.
"People change. Or maybe they just forget who mattered before someone else came along."
Garson didn't reply right away—he just watched her.
There was more pain behind her words than she wanted to show.
"Well, if you tell me what happened," Garson said, leaning his elbows on the table, "maybe I can give you a solution. I'm not just here to steal your book, you know."
Danna scoffed softly, closing it now and staring at the cover for a second.
"You can't fix everything with sarcasm and dramatic stares, Mr whatever."
He raised a brow. "Maybe not, but I'm a decent listener when I'm not being called names."
Danna looked at him, her guard slowly cracking.
"She didn't tell me anything," she said quietly. "No explanation, no nothing. Just… secrets behind my back."
Garson didn't say anything for a beat. Then simply replied,
"That hurts more than lies, doesn't it?"
Danna's eyes flicked to his.
And this time… she didn't look away.
Garson stood up, sliding his hands into his pockets as he looked down at Danna.
"But Miss Coffee," he said softly, "maybe try asking them. Ask why they didn't open up to you."
Danna looked up, her brows pulling together slightly.
"Sometimes," he continued, eyes steady, "people are just… confused. And silence is easier than honesty."
With that, he turned and walked out of the lecture hall, leaving Danna with her thoughts—and the uncomfortable feeling that maybe, just maybe… he understood her more than she thought.
It was already late when Danna finally left university. Her bag felt heavier than usual with the books she borrowed for her research work.
The bus dropped her off at a station a bit farther from her house. The night air was cool, the street quiet — too quiet.
As she stepped off the bus, something unsettled her.
She had that feeling… like someone was watching.
Following.
She glanced over her shoulder — no one. Just shadows.
Shaking it off, she hugged her bag tighter and picked up her pace. Her footsteps echoed on the empty road, but… there was another rhythm behind hers.
Footsteps.
Heavy ones.
She didn't dare look back. Her heart pounded. Her walk turned into a near-run.
Suddenly —
Whack!
A brutal kick landed on the back of her leg.
She gasped, collapsing onto the cold ground with a cry of pain. Her books scattered. Her knee throbbed.
And behind her… the footsteps stopped.
Danna's breath caught in her throat as she turned her head.
A man stood towering above her—
face hidden behind a black mask,
a sharp knife glinting in his hand under the flickering streetlight.
"Lady," he said, his voice low and chilling,
"if you don't want to die… just keep quiet and come with me."
Her heart slammed in her chest. Her hands trembled as she tried to scoot backward on the pavement.
She glanced around — no one.
Every house on the street looked dark. Silent.
Her voice caught. She wanted to scream, to run, to do something—
but her body was frozen in fear.
The man stepped closer.
But Danna wasn't going down like that.
With a rush of adrenaline, she pushed through the pain and kicked his hand —
the knife slipped slightly, his grip loosening.
He stumbled back, caught off guard.
He lunged again, slashing toward her —
but she dodged, heart racing, fear sharp in her chest.
In one swift move, she yanked her bag open and pulled out her pepper spray.
Hisssss!
She sprayed it straight into his masked face.
He screamed, staggering back with a groan, clutching his burning eyes.
Danna didn't waste a second —
she slammed her knee into his stomach with all the strength she had left.
But he pushed her off and she hit the ground again with a grunt.
Before she could get up, he threw something—
an envelope?
And just like that, he turned and ran.
Faster than she could follow.
Disappearing into the thick shadows of the night.
Danna gasped for breath, her eyes wide as she reached for the letter.
Danna stared at the envelope in her trembling hands, her heart still racing from the attack.
But she didn't open it.
Not here.
Not in the dark.
Not alone.
Without a second thought, she shoved it into her bag and turned—
running.
Her legs burned. Her chest ached.
But she didn't stop until the familiar shape of her house came into view through the shadows.
Danna rang the doorbell with trembling fingers.
As soon as the door opened and her mother appeared,
Danna rushed inside without saying a word —
slamming it shut behind her and locking it quickly.
Before her mom could even ask what was wrong,
Danna turned and threw herself into her mother's arms,
holding on tightly as if her life depended on it.
Her chest shook with silent sobs,
and for the first time in a long while… she let herself fall apart.
Her mother, startled, gently wrapped her arms around her daughter.
"Danna… what happened?" she whispered,
running her hand through Danna's hair.
But Danna didn't answer.
She just held on — to safety, to love, to home.
Danna pulled away gently from her mother's embrace, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
"Mom… I'll tell you tomorrow," she said softly, voice trembling but steady.
"Right now, I just want to be alone."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and hurried upstairs, the weight of the day heavy on her shoulders.
Her mother stood by the doorway, watching her go, worry etched deep in her eyes.
The silence in the house felt louder than ever.
Danna stepped into her room, the soft glow of the nightlight casting gentle shadows.
Eva was peacefully asleep on the bed, unaware of the storm raging inside Danna's heart.
She moved carefully, not wanting to disturb her sister's rest.
Slowly, Danna sank to the floor, back against the wall, tears slipping silently down her cheeks.
Her hands trembled as she pulled the envelope from her bag.
Finally, with a shaky breath, she broke the seal and unfolded the letter.
Danna's eyes scanned the letter, each word sinking like a cold blade into her heart:
"Danna Woods, long time no see.
But guess what? Fate has brought us face to face again.
It's going to be fun after all these years —
and with blood, it was written.
Be ready."
Her hands trembled, and the room seemed to grow colder around her.
What did this mean? Who had sent it?
And how much danger was really lurking in the shadows?